It All Started With That Winter Morning
by Fsenia
Summary: Tomoyo becomes the boss of Daidouji Enterprise after her mother's death. One day, she gets a shock when a seriously injured young man arrives unannounced on her doorstep...and an even bigger shock when she realises he is Eriol Hiiragizawa...ET and NOT AU
1. The Unexpected Guest

**_First, a word from the author…._**

Helo!

This story really shouldn't have been produced. I should be writing my next chapters for my other stories, but I had to come up with another story instead. As if I don't have enough on my hands. Sigh.

Anyway, I got my inspiration one day, while watching television, so I thought, well, must as well write it out, since I've got inspiration, and since inspiration for me doesn't usually last very long, I rushed to type out this story. At that time, I had not even thought of the title. P

WELL, anywayzzz…what's done is done. I really should stop reading too much Agatha Christie books. My summary was very much influenced by her, and the worst thing is…er, I think I'll keep it to myself for the moment.

Anyway (I can't seem to stop using this word), pls go ahead and read the story now. Half-baked, lots of loopholes…I just wanted to rid this from my system so that I can continue with my other stories…hee hee.

And now, on to the show…

**Summary of the story**:

Tomoyo takes over the reins of running Daidouji Business Empire after the death of her mother, and as a result, she has to uproot herself from her hometown and jet set around the globe. While on a short visit in England, she gets a shock of her life when a young man, bleeding and seriously wounded, arrives unannounced on her doorstep…and an even bigger shock when she realises he is none other than Eriol Hiiragizawa…

Chapter 1: The Unexpected Guest 

"Jessie, I'm feeling tired…"

"Stop complaining, Sarah. I'm as tired as you are," the second girl sighed. "I know it's been all day, but you know we have to sell all these flowers. The children need the money…" She sighed again.

Sarah looked down at the bunch of red roses lying in her basket. She trailed a finger along the crimson red petals and the long, green stem; her dirt grimed nails a stark contrast to the forlorn beauty of the rose. Beside her, Jessie had already carried on with the familiar plea to the passers-by on the street.

"Would you like a rose, Miss? A rose, Mister? It would make a beautiful gift…"

Yet, most of them remained deaf to their calls, a number of them not even caring to spare a glance at the two girls in worn and tattered clothes. It was simply futile, and they knew that, but there were many young and hungry mouths to feed back home; they **had** to sell the roses.

Sarah drooped her head, her whole body aching with weariness. She finally caved in to the exhaustion, and squatted down on the ground, wrapping her arms around her legs while she rested her head on her knees. She shivered. The winter wind was picking up. She wrapped herself tighter, wishing she had warmer clothes other than the sparse clothing she currently had on her. Her head bent down too low to see anything except the ground, she did not notice the long, black limousine that had pulled up along the street and had stopped directly in front of them until her sister had nudged her excitedly.

The front door opened first, and a stout man with a dark, pressed suit stepped out, and proceeded to open the back door. The stout, grim-looking man stood at the side, holding the door open with such rigidity that Sarah would have burst out laughing. The only thing that stopped her from doing so was the stone-like impassivity of the man's face, which in actual fact greatly intimidated her. She was now on her feet, and slightly moved a step back. She did not know what to expect, but she certainly did not expect what she saw next.

A long black boot appeared first, followed by a tall, slender figure draped in a long, dark purple coat. A young woman emerged from the car, but this was no ordinary young woman.

Sarah watched, enchanted by the glossy black hair that was whipped back with the wind, and the creamy, white skin of her face. One thing was for sure; she was definitely not a local. The stylish designer shades hid her eyes, but all Sarah could think of was two words. **_Uber cool_.**

Sarah felt Jessie tense up beside her when the young, beautiful woman slowly approached them, but Sarah could not help but wonder how one could walk with so much poise and grace as the woman in front of them. She smiled nervously when the young lady bent down slightly to examine the flowers in her basket; long elegant fingers calmly slipping off her shades to reveal a breathtakingly beautiful pair of striking violet eyes, almost causing Sarah to elicit a gasp.

"M-May w-w-we h-help you…M-Miss?"

Sarah could barely hear Jessie's voice, but it was loud enough for the young woman. She turned and raised her head to look at Jessie…and smiled. Without saying a word, she gently took the baskets from their hands, and Sarah watched as she slipped something mysterious in to Jessie's hand. With the smile still present on her face, she gently caressed their cheeks. Her hand, Sarah decided, had the warmest and most comforting touch she had not experienced for the longest time ever since her mother had died. Sarah did not even realise when the young woman put down her hand, and still without having said a word, she turned and walked back to her car, leaving two awe-struck girls behind.

It was only a long time after the black limousine had driven off that they realised what had happened. Jessie stared blankly at her right hand, the one in which the young woman had pressed in something, and resting on her palm, was a crisp but crumpled, brand new, fifty pound note.

* * *

"Ah, Mistress Tomoyo! You're back!"

Tomoyo walked up the stairs of her porch, and produced with a flourish a bunch of red roses, which immediately gained an admirer in the form of the petite, middle-aged woman who came to greet her.

"What lovely flowers, Mistress Tomoyo! Come, I shall place it in that lovely crystal vase by the dining table! Lovely vase to suit lovely flowers!"

Tomoyo laughed as she watched her housekeeper scurry away with the roses. **_That dear Emma will never change_**, she thought to herself, a gentle smile resting on her lips.

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid my wife will always remain that way," a deep voice rumbled beside her. Tomoyo knew even without looking who the person was, and turning to her right, she scolded him in mock displeasure, "Warren!" The gentle giant grinned back at her, a bushy grey eyebrow raised to express his amusement. Tomoyo smiled back at her butler; one could not possibly get angry with someone like Warren.

Warren stepped forward to relieve Tomoyo from her winter coat, for which Tomoyo thanked him graciously.

"So, how was your day today?"

"Urgh. Not as bad as yesterday, but bad enough. I really need to relax now."

"Hmm…shall I prepare your boudoir again?"

"I think I shall go to the living room today. Is the fire ready?"

"Blazing fiercely, Mistress. Nice, warm and cosy, if I may say so myself."

"Thank you, Warren. You're a dear. As for refreshment –"

"A Martini, stirred, not shaken."

Tomoyo flashed a grateful smile at him, and giving him a quick peck on his cheek, she murmured, "Now what would I do without you, Warren?"

"You would be suffering a lot, that's for sure."

Tomoyo laughed again, and shooed him away to carry on with his business.

Tomoyo quickly advanced to the living room, and completely disregarding her manners and social graces, she plopped herself down onto the couch, and sank into the warm velvet material. Curling up her legs, she looked every bit like a smug, contented cat, and she definitely felt like one as she snuggled deeper against the fluffy cushions on the couch.

**_Ah…this feels wonderful… _**

She sipped the drink she now held in her hand, and though she was staring into the orange, blazing fire, her mind was revisiting fond memories.

A smile slowly formed on her pale, pink lips.

**_Sakura… _**

An image of a sweet, beautiful young woman with long auburn hair and sparkling green eyes immediately appeared in her mind, and Tomoyo smiled.

Sakura Kinomoto.

Her cousin, her 'sister', and above all else, her best friend. Forthirteen years, they had been best friends, the closest of friends…and now, as she sat alone watching the fire, Tomoyo could not help but feel a deep sense of loss. In the past year, she had lost her mother, her friends; the former because of cancer that was detected much too late, and the latter because of her duty to continue running the immense Daidouji empire, a duty she could not forsake. A duty that ultimately forced her to uproot herself from the hometown she loved so much as she had to jet-set around the globe to monitor the Daidouji Enterprise branches located in various parts of the world, and in the process, separated her from her dearest friends…

**_Well, at least I can take comfort in knowing that Li-kun is taking care of Sakura-chan…_**

A mischievous grin tugged at the corners of her lips. She chuckled silently at the memory of the Chinese young man with fiery amber eyes and dirt brown hair, who blushed so badly when he finally proposed to Sakura, he looked as though he was going to faint. He actually did though, when Sakura said 'yes'. Sakura then had to spend ten whole minutes to revive him again, though he fainted once again when he saw how close he was to Sakura. On the other hand, Tomoyo, as usual, had a wonderful time capturing everything on tape, much to Li Syaoran's chagrin.

**_Too bad the wedding is still two years away._** The couple felt that they were still young, and were quite happy to remain engaged for the moment, and though Tomoyo respected their decision, she had to admit, she was a bit disappointed that she could not see her best friend dressed up in a custom-made (by yours truly) wedding gown soon enough. Two years, however was not that far away…

**_Besides, it gives me more time to think of other more beautiful designs…_**

An even bigger grin appeared on her face.

But for the moment, she would be all alone, without any of her close friends, without her loved ones…

Winter in England was looking to be one lonely season.

* * *

Ordinarily, Tomoyo would have left the duties of cleaning the furniture to her many servants, but today, she was feeling rather energetic. Today, she was taking a rare break from running the Daidouji business, and instead of relaxing in her boudoir, she decided to make use of her time by chipping in with the household cleaning. For her, it was a refreshing change; getting down on her knees to scrub the floors and getting herself quite dirty was not something she experienced everyday.

She whistled softly to herself while polishing a brass goblet, lost in her thoughts, when suddenly…

"Guards! Keep him away! Keep him – Argh!"

Shouts of her bodyguards echoed through the halls of the large mansion as they rushed towards the entrance to investigate the commotion. Tomoyo promptly replaced the goblet and followed them, her brows furrowed as she wondered about the scream she had heard.

Once at the entrance, she pushed her way through, ignoring her bodyguards' futile attempts to stop her. A struggle was taking place between the guards and someone else whom she could not see, but something else caught her attraction. Something red on the ground…

**_Blood…_**

"Wait! Release the intruder! He or she is bleeding!" Turning to Emma, she commanded, "Get the doctor here, now!"

Turning her attention back to the front, she ordered the guards to part, and walked slowly towards…a young man. A seriously wounded young man, to be precise.

**_Oh my…_**

He was quite a wretched sight. His white long-sleeved shirt was completely dirtied, torn at various parts and stained with dark red splotches which Tomoyo assumed was blood, and even though his pants were blue in colour, she could see blood oozing out from where the material had been sliced. Subdued by the guards, he knelt down before her, and she quickly rushed to him. He was still trying to fight back, snarling weakly at his captors, his blue dishevelled hair flinging from side to side as he fought to get up.

"Stop struggling! You're hurt, and in dire need of a doctor!"

He suddenly did stop moving upon hearing Tomoyo's voice, and slowly raised his head. The sun glinted off his cracked spectacles, which now dangled precariously, and dark, blue eyes stared right into hers. Tomoyo unknowingly released a small gasp; there was something very familiar about those eyes…

His lips parted slightly, and Tomoyo strained her ears as he tried to speak.

"H..help…me…"

The weak whisper was all he could muster, before he finally collapsed before her.

Slightly stunned, Tomoyo however quickly gathered her wits and ordered for the young man to be brought into the house. He was in serious need of medical attention, and she was not about to let someone die right on her porch.

**_The blue hair…the blue eyes…they're so familiar… _**

She was about to follow the guards in, but her attention was distracted by a 'clink' sound she heard. She moved swiftly back towards the door, and sure enough, a glittering object lay on the ground. Bending down to take it, she had a start when she realised what it was.

It was a pendent; a pendent that resembled a key, and had the shape of a sun that was surrounded by golden spikes, and only one person could have dropped it…

The wounded young man, with the familiar blue eyes and hair…

**_Don't tell me that was…_**

"H-Hiiragizawa-kun?"

To be continued… 

Author's notes:

So? How was it? Comments pls. Criticisms also welcomed. )


	2. Of Things To Come

Author's notes: Ah! Another chapter! And up in record time, to boot! But it's all thanks to all you wonderful reviewers out there… To be honest, I wasn't expecting so much. Heck, I would have been contented with just 10, but you guys were absolutely wonderful and gave me a whopping 21 reviews! I really don't know how to thank you all, but I hope this chapter will convey my thanks to you. =) 

Btw, to sammi:

Tomoyo's not married. Sakura's the one…Did I go wrong somewhere?

PS: This is not an AU fic! Why does everyone think so?? 

Disclaimer for 1st, 2nd and all subsequent chapters: Sakura and gang do not belong to me. Full stop.

                                                  Chapter 2: Of Things To Come

_"Leave her be! I don't know what you want, but this is between you and me! Leave her out of this!"_

_"No, Eriol-sama! I won't let you battle him alone!"_

_"Ruby Moon! An order is an order! Leave! Now!"_

_"But Master – "_

"No 'buts', Spinel Sun! If you regard me as your Master, then obey my command and **leave**!"

"Trying to protect your creations, O Great Clow Reed?" a voice sneered.

"A bit too late for that now, Hiiragizawa…"

*****************

           **Hiiragizawa…**

           A voice…

           **Hiiragizawa…**

So close…

          **Hiiragizawa…**

          Getting louder…

           "Hiiragizawa?"

           Eriol stirred from his slumber, his mind just faintly aware of someone calling his name. 

           "Hiiragizawa-kun?"

           Eriol strained to open his eyes; for some reason, his eyelids felt especially heavy. They rose slowly, allowing light to flood his vision, though at first all he could see were blurred images. Everything was so bright and fuzzy, it was only after a few minutes that his mind registered the abstract mix of colours. 

            His vision was slowly clearing, and a dark figure was coming into view…

            "Hiiragizawa-kun? You're awake?" He then heard an audible sigh, followed by a soft murmur of what he thought was a "thank goodness".

            He could now make out a young woman, who he noticed looked roughly his age, sitting not too far away beside the bed he lay in. A worried expression adorned the rather lovely face, her amethyst eyes showing the same emotion.

            "Wh...where…?" She stepped forward and helped to prop him up against the pillows, to which he muttered a rather incoherent 'thank you'. He gazed at his surroundings. Where was he?

            "You're in my house, Hiiragizawa-kun." She saw him frown just slightly, and added hastily, "I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Daidouji Tomoyo. Does the name ring a bell?"

            For a moment, Tomoyo thought he did not remember her, but the flicker of recognition in his eyes proved her wrong. 

            "Dai…Daidouji-san…." He managed a feeble smile. "I almost didn't recognise you…"

            "I don't blame you. It's been seven years since we last met."

            He nodded, and closed his eyes. He remembered the last time he had seen her. It had been at his mansion, in Tomoeda, Japan, and a day after Sakura's final test. They had come over to his house to wish him goodbye, as he was leaving the next day for England. 

            He smiled fondly. He missed those days…

            His thoughts were interrupted by an 'ahem', and he turned to face Tomoyo.

            "You must be hungry. I'll go and tell the servants to prepare some food for you." She stood to walk off, but she paused at the doorway. "And do get some more rest, Hiiragizawa-kun. You're still weak," she said gently.

            Eriol watched the graceful figure leave the room, and his mind lingered on the image of his old acquaintance.            

            It came like a bolt out of the blue.****

            Suddenly, something clicked in his brain. 

            His dream. 

            Ruby Moon…

            Spinel Sun…

            He could not stay. There was too much danger involved, especially since now that Tomoyo was acquainted with him again… 

**            No**. He had to leave, and fast. He could not put Tomoyo's life at risk…

            He stumbled as he got up, his head spinning from his sudden movement. God, why did he feel so weak? 

            **I must leave now, before it's too late…**

            Clutching his bandaged head, he groggily made his way to the door. His head throbbed so hard he felt as though it was going to burst, but he continued on, ignoring the jolts of pain that racked his body with every step. He made no further than to the hallway before his vision started to get hazy again, and just when he felt as though he was going to fall, a pair of hands grabbed him by the shoulders.  

            "Hiiragizawa-kun! What are you doing? You should be in bed!" Tomoyo gripped his arm, holding him steady as he leaned his other arm against the wall for support. She placed a hand against his forehead, and her violet eyes widened considerably.  

            "My God…you're burning up again, Hiiragizawa-kun. We need to get you back to bed…" She tried to pull him back, but he resisted her and shook off her arm.   

            "Let me go," he muttered weakly. 

            "I…I must…leave…it's…too….dangerous…for…you…"

            "The only danger I face now is your condition, Hiiragizawa-kun!" She hissed fiercely. "If you don't stop moving, you're going to die!"

            "I...must…leave…"

            The last thing Eriol remembered seeing after saying those words was Tomoyo's face…

            Then his whole world went black. 

            "Hiiragizawa-kun! Hiiragizawa-kun! Guards! Bring him back to the room! Hurry!"

****************

Tomoyo stood at the window, arms crossed casually at her chest, silently looking out upon the world. The sun was beginning to set, its red form dipping over the horizon, and she glanced at her watch. It was five past seven.

            Just then, she heard a slight shuffling behind her, but she did not bother to turn back. **Baka. You're finally awake.**

            More shuffling noises, followed by a couple of low moans and groans. After a moment, she spoke.

            "Don't you even dare move out of the bed. I'm not going to tolerate another crazy stunt like the one you pulled six hours ago."

            Silence ensued. She was sure he had heard it, no matter how groggy or dazed he was, and his next words confirmed it. 

            "I apologise for the trouble I have caused you." He paused for a moment. "Six hours ago?" His low, baritone voice held a hint of incredulity. 

            "You've been sleeping ever since you collapsed in my…lap in the hallway." She half-turned her head, unable to bring herself to look him in the eye as she spoke to him, but she could still see his form clearly.

            She watched as he nodded quietly, as if processing the information in his head.

            "Oh, and here. I think you'll like to have this back. You dropped it on the porch, and I, erm, kept it for you." She turned fully now, stepping forward to give him his necklace, then stepped back again.

            "Thank you." He held his sun pendent in his hand, fingering it for a moment, before proceeding to hang it around his neck, and at once felt reassured by the feeling of the cool object against his skin. 

            Neither of them spoke again, causing more silence to ensue. It was Tomoyo who was the first one to break the deafening silence.

            "You are a fool, do you know that? You were mortally wounded, and you almost lost your life by trying to do something stupid like leaving the house when your body has yet to recover from your injuries."

            "I am truly sorry about my actions." **But I have my reasons for doing so.**

            However, he said those words in such a cool and detached tone that Tomoyo doubted the sincerity in them.

            "Maybe now you'll like to tell me what happened…?"

            His head rose sharply, appearing as though he had been jerked out from his deep thoughts. His face was however, curiously devoid of any emotion, though his eyes seemed to follow her keenly.

            "There is nothing you need to know."

            "You arrived on my doorstep, bleeding terribly, asking for help, and now you tell me that there is nothing I need to know?"

            **That was before I knew who you were, Daidouji-san.**

            "I was…delirious then. Please excuse my actions." He paused, contemplating what to say next.

            "I'm sorry for intruding on your hospitality. I shall leave as soon as possible." 

            "You are not going anywhere until you tell me what happened." 

            Eriol sighed. She was such a stubborn person.

            "Forgive me, Daidouji-san, but I cannot tell you. It's too dangerous for you."

            "There it is again. 'Dangerous'. What **is** this 'danger' you keep talking about?"

            He tilted his head to look at her, and said coolly, "Something you cannot be involved in."

            "In case you haven't noticed, Hiiragizawa-kun, I spent two years of my childhood following Sakura on her card-capturing missions, and I wouldn't classify them as being **safe**." He clearly detected the iciness of her tone and the barely concealed sarcasm as she uttered the last word, but he paid no attention to it.

 He shook his head, and muttered, "This is different."

            "Oh? And how would I know, if you refuse to tell me what happened?"

            Eriol simply decided to stay silent and not answer her question.

            Staring at the tight-lipped young man lying in the bed, she felt a sudden burst of anger wash over her. Here he was, wounded and wrapped in numerous bandages, and he **still** refused to explain how he ended up in such a condition. Something snapped within her, and unable to control her emotions, she let loose with a scream.

            "Don't you _understand_? You almost **_died_** back there!"

            Eriol's eyes widened considerably, taken aback by Tomoyo's sudden outburst. 

            "I…I…" She too was clearly stunned by her own action, and her hand immediately flew to her mouth. She mumbled incoherently, and whirled back towards the window, her back to Eriol once more. Eriol narrowed his eyes. True, he had been close to death, but even so, why was she so upset when he was merely a friend - and not even a close one, in fact – to her? There was another reason, he realised…but what?

            "I'm sorry for the distress I've caused you," he said quietly, his eyes focused on the unmoving figure standing beside the window.

            "It's…not your fault. I'm to blame." Her voice was now more controlled, though he thought it was a bit **too** controlled. She turned to face him again, her eyes clear and... pleading. "Please, Hiiragizawa-kun. Tell me what happened to you."  

            "Really, Daidouji-san, there's no need for you to know. You are not obligated to help me. I will handle –"

            Before he realised what was going on he found Tomoyo sitting on the side of his bed, gazing squarely into his eyes.

            "Look. I had an obligation to you, Hiiragizawa-kun," she said calmly, her expression unflinching, "from the moment I accepted your plea for help when you arrived that morning."

            Eriol blinked. The woman certainly had steel, and obstinacy. 

            **_Sigh._** **_Very well. If she wants it that way…_**

            Cool, blue eyes stared back steadily into hers. 

            "Someone wants me dead, Daidouji-san.

            And he won't stop until I am."

**To be continued…**

Author's notes:

Well? How was it? This chapter is kind of short, I know, but I wanted it to end like that…*grins*. I like cliffhangers….

Oh yes, in case you didn't get it, the first part was a dream sequence. You should know who's dream it was…no? 

Anyway, I hope you understand why Eriol was so adamant in not telling Tomoyo anything. If not, pls say so and I'll make it clearer it the next chapter. If you have any questions at all, pls feel free to email me. =)

Well, as for chapter 3, I'm not sure when it's going to come out, as I need to do a lot of brainstorming to figure out what to do next with this story. Right now, I do not have a plausible plot, which is a rather big problem for me, and until I can overcome that hurdle, I don't think chapter 3 will be coming up very soon. I will however, try my best…your reviews have been wonderful encouragement to me, and I'll hate to disappoint you with an unsatisfactory story.

Soooo….until next time, see ya!


	3. Getting To Know You

****

Finally!

First of all, I'd like to apologise to all those who have waited eagerly and in great anticipation for this third chapter, and I hope you'll like this as much as you like the previous chapters.

By the way, can I just inform you that due to my lack of knowledge on the country of England, I made up a fictional town which is located somewhere near the countryside and London, and I also made up the name "Ancient Studies" (you'll understand what I mean as you read along). I know I should have researched, but I was pressed for time and you could say I was pretty impatient about putting this up.

All in all, I think this is a fairly decent chapter (for me)…I'm not satisfied with it, but I shall put it up nevertheless, until my muse returns to me and allows me to come up with a better version of this chapter.

I hope you'll enjoy it, and so…feel free to read and review at the end of the chapter! LOL. =)

Chapter 3: Getting to know you

For a moment, Eriol wondered whether his words even affected Tomoyo, as her face remained inscrutable and registered no emotion, but after a while her eyes narrowed slightly and she leaned back in her chair. 

"Want you dead? I'm not surprised," she replied, as though reading his mind. "I saw the state you were in when you came in," she said grimly. 

She paused, then spoke again, still in a calm and cool voice, "Is it because of your magic?"

Eriol was silently impressed by her intelligence, but he showed none of it as he answered with an amazing amount of ease, "The attack came out of nowhere, and my attacker, eloquent as he was," at this Eriol's eyes momentarily lit up with amusement, though it escaped the eyes of the usually perceptive Tomoyo, "mentioned no reasons, but he definitely recognises my affiliation with Clow Reed."

Turning his head to stare straight into her eyes, his voice immediately became solemn and his face turned serious. 

"He has magical powers, Daidouji-san. **_Powerful_**, magical powers." A slight, involuntary shudder passed through Tomoyo's body, her mind disturbed by the tone in which Eriol had uttered those words, but she shook it off. She couldn't let it affect her. 

"But you managed to get away…?"

"Just barely. He underestimated my power, if only for a moment, but that was enough to create a chance for me to escape."

Tomoyo nodded reverently, absorbing the information into her mind. She felt that something was not right with the picture, and then it occurred to her.

"Don't you have two guardians? Akizuki-san and Spinel Sun? Where are they now?"

Eriol simply tapped the pendent he now wore around his neck.

"They're sealed in the wand." When he saw the alarmed look on her face he continued calmly in his deep, velvety voice, "Do not be mistaken, Daidouji-san. I did not trap them. I did it for their sake, in order to protect them. It was the only way…and they knew it." 

He stopped there, and Tomoyo inwardly frowned at his non-committal answers. It was as though he was deliberately shielding certain facts from her, which was obviously the case here. However, seeing as how the young man had no intentions to elucidate his sentence, she tactfully decided not to probe further. The questioning would have to be put aside for the moment; she would press him for answers eventually, and get them she would – by hook or by crook.

"Please, Daidouji-san. _Do not get involved_," he suddenly urged her, having noticed the slight tightening of the small, delicate jaw; a reaction he identified as made by one who had just made a firm decision. Though annoyed that he could have been employing the use of his magic to read her mind (either that, or he was simply darned perceptive), Tomoyo was more startled by the undercurrents in his tone, in his voice; the insistence was real, the concern, genuine. Was there a slight pleading to his voice too? 

Tomoyo shook her head, then raised it to smile genially at her friend. "Don't even bother, Hiiragizawa-kun. It's too late."

To Eriol's great chagrin, he knew she was right. The girl was utterly stubborn.

He leaned back into the soft pillows, letting out a sigh of resignation that was audible only to him. He would have to try again to discourage her, but not now; for now, he would rest, and conserve and save the energy he was sure he would need to conduct another verbal dueling with her. She would change her mind, eventually. She **had to**. 

"You know," Tomoyo started, ignoring the raised brow of the young man over the sudden change in her tone, "I find it hard to believe that you could be injured so badly… I mean, I always had this image of you as someone so perfect, where you can never be hurt, physically or mentally or spiritually."

She mentally chastised herself when she realized that she sounded more impressed than she wanted to, but Eriol smirked and tilted his head just slightly; an action that unconsciously annoyed her. 

"So…you've noticed many things about me, Daidouji-san."

"It's hard not to comment on you, Hiiragizawa-kun. You were rather…different, from the other boys in our class," she commented with a smile that didn't quite seem to reach the ends. 

"Indeed? In what way, I might ask?"

Tomoyo ignored his attempts to make her feel uncomfortable, and replied in a completely neutral tone, "You were intelligent, mature, musically talented, athletic, a great cook; not many boys have such a wide array of talents, you know." Eriol chuckled at the slight sarcastic tone she employed in her last line, and though she tried to hide it, he could see that she too, was amused. 

On a more sober note, he replied to her statement, "Magic may course through my blood, Daidouji-san, but I am not invulnerable. 'When you cut me, do I not bleed…?' "

Before she could ask to further elaborate his vague and mysterious answer, she was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. 

"Come in," she answered, hiding her annoyance over her spoilt opportunity under a voice that oozed calmness. Warren promptly stepped in, passed a fleeting glance over the guest, then proceeded to address his Mistress with nary any sign of his feelings about the young man who was still lying in bed. Eriol wasn't surprised. If he was a butler, such behaviour was expected of him. Such high-ranking servants were trained to withhold their tongues and to maintain a mask at all times, sometimes to such an extent he would not be able to distinguish the impassive face of the man from the face of a marble statue. 

"You have an urgent call from Miss Stone, Mistress," said the granite giant whom Eriol had noticed had been acknowledged as 'Warren'. 

Tomoyo frowned. She had given strict orders not to be disturbed at her home after office hours, but if it was **Sylvia** calling her, Sylvia, the responsible, competent Managing Director of her company…something serious was up. 

"Excuse me, Hiiragizawa-kun. I'm afraid I'll have to answer the call."

Eriol nodded his head once, a sign to show that he was alright, and she briskly walked out of the room. 

***************

It had been two days since she had last seen Eriol. That last time had been the day he had arrived wounded on her doorstep, the evening in which she had received that phone call from Sylvia. The phone conversation had been brief, but only because Tomoyo had rushed down to the office where Sylvia was. The matter, because of the complexity and the sheer magnitude of its importance, had taken two days to be resolved, and as a result, she had not been able to visit her friend at all, even though he was under the same roof as her. However, she checked up on him regularly through her personal physician whom she had called up to look after him, and so far, he was making steady progress towards a full recovery. Today, however, since she had cleared up the whole fiasco at the office, she had granted herself another full-day off. Save for Sylvia, she was not very keen on working with the imbeciles that ran the company in her place, especially after the incident of the past two days. She would go back to work, of course…but only after she did some proper 'staff reshuffling'. 

She slipped in quietly into the guest room, and noticing that the guest in question was fast asleep, she decided not to disturb his slumber, and moved to the far end of the room. 

She settled herself down on one of the plush couches in the room, and started to busy herself with the stack of papers she had brought in to work on. The only problem was, her gaze and mind kept drifting to the young man sleeping in the bed, and with increasing annoyance at herself over her fascination with her old friend, she pushed her attention back to her office work, staring hard at the letters and words that seemed to swim before her eyes. Giving a soft, frustrated silent cry when she realized her attention was nowhere focused on her work, she turned her eyes to the scenery outside. Yet, they did not stay there for long. 

Unconsciously, her gaze strayed back to the person who was currently fast asleep on the bed. She took in the long, lean body, stretched languorously along the bed, looking completely at peace with the world in his unconscious state, and his skin… Such fair skin he had, and so flawless, considering the fact that he was a man. She did not think she had ever seen a man who possessed skin as beautiful and fair as his, and for a moment, she paused in her examination to ponder the reasons why. Even when they had been eleven, he had been awfully pale. Perhaps it was his mixed blood, or maybe it was just his environment. If he still lived in the type of houses, no, mansions he had lived in when he was in Tomoeda, then his skin colour was not surprising. The mansion he had lived in during his short time in Tomoeda had been very impressive, and this coming from one who was used to living in large estates with sprawling acres of land. 

__

Very Victorian and intimidating too, she noted to herself, a small smile appearing on her face at the memory. 

She emerged from her thoughts and continued on with the visual exploration of his face, taking in the rather exquisite features as she mused to herself about the long, elegant nose, and thick, dark lashes that any woman would be proud of and would die to have. His dark, blue hair fell carelessly over his face, contrasting magnificently with his fair, white skin. He was, Tomoyo concluded quite breathlessly, a rather **_beautiful_** man. 

"Enjoy what you see?" 

Tomoyo's face turned an absolute shade of pink when she realized Eriol was wide awake and fully aware of what she had been doing. She quickly cast her eyes down to her papers, hoping dearly that he would not be able to see her expression without his glasses, which, she had noticed with a brief glance to his right, was resting on the bedside table. She bent her head down so low, she could not see him at all, but when all she heard was silence, she lifted her head up slowly…only to stare straight into Eriol's eyes. 

"I think I shall see whether the kitchen has prepared anything for you." Before he could reply, she swiftly got onto her feet and left the room in a trail of lavender silk, leaving a rather bemused Eriol behind. 

Eriol watched as Tomoyo hastily left the room, her usually fair cheeks tinged slightly pink, and let an amused smile creep onto his face. He had long noticed that she was staring at him, but had pretended to still be asleep. After all, why deprive her of a chance to examine his features, which - he admitted quite shamelessly - were not that bad? Besides, her reaction to his words had been quite priceless. He had managed to catch the sophisticated and elegant young lady off guard, but even when she was embarrassed, she still managed to look graceful, Eriol noted with subdued reverence and admiration. His musings brought back the memory of the two days ago, where she had first lost her controlled hold over her emotions and let free an incredible outburst. His brows knitted together, like they often did when he was deep in thought. He would have to ponder over that one. 

Tomoyo came back in after a while, a tray in hand which she placed briskly but gently on Eriol's lap, but in a swift and sudden movement, Eriol caught hold of her wrist. He felt her stiffen beneath his touch, and relieved the pressure of his grip on her hand, but not enough to let her slip away, thus eventually forcing her to look at him. She did not look directly into his face though; she kept her eyes just slightly lowered, fascinated at once by those pale pink lips. 

"Thank you for the spectacles." 

She blinked. Was that all he had planned to say? For some reason, she had been expecting something different, and let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding. She raised her eyes to his, and noticed the elegant, gleaming rimless spectacles that rested on his long, shapely nose. 

"You didn't have to make one, you know."

"And leave you traveling around half-blind?" Eriol smiled. "Besides, your old one had cracked. I thought to make a new one for you, since there was no way you could have used the old pair."

For what seemed to be the longest time, he gazed into her eyes, unspeaking, before he finally uttered in a soft whisper, "Thank you, again."

"You're welcome, Hiiragizawa-kun." Seemingly satisfied with her answer, Eriol released his grip on her hand, and Tomoyo promptly fled to the safety of the couch – which, she noted, was a good distance away from his bed – and practically buried herself into her papers. 

"What are you working on? Algebra homework?" He said in between mouthfuls of delicious chocolate cake. 

When he noticed no answer from her, he raised his head, and was momentarily startled by the queer, intense look she regarded him with. 

"You couldn't be further from the truth, Hiiragizawa-kun," she answered softly, though her voice was curiously flat and oddly devoid of any emotion. Eriol looked sharply at her, but she lowered her eyes back to her papers.

"What do you mean, Daidouji-san?" His voice sounded like flowing honey; it was so smooth, so natural…there wasn't even a hint of curiosity in his voice - much to Tomoyo's chagrin. 

"There are many things you do not know about me, and vice versa. But I don't make assumptions based merely on observation, and I hope you'll do the same." 

To say that he was surprised by her words would be an understatement; he was stunned. For a moment, as Tomoyo watched Eriol, he seemed at a loss for words, but understanding soon dawned on him, and a slow, lazy smile worked its way onto his charming face. 

"It seems we have started off on the wrong foot. Care to start afresh?" Those sapphire eyes seemed to twinkle at her, and she almost laughed at his charm. **Almost**, but fortunately, she managed to control it to a smile. 

"Why don't you start with the introductions, my lady?" She had to suppress an urge to raise an eyebrow at the formal address, and nodded once to express her agreement.

"All right. My name is Daidouji Tomoyo, eighteen years old, originally from Tomoeda, Japan. I'm currently in England to oversee operations of the England branch of Daidouji Enterprises."

"A businesswoman? That explains the ire I raised a few minutes ago." She laughed as he grinned at her, and suddenly, all the tension in her body seemed to disappear. It felt good to be around someone whom she knew, even if she hadn't seen him for the past seven years. A familiar face was good enough.

"And you, monsieur Hiiragizawa?"

"Me? You haven't gone into why you're a businesswoman at eighteen."

"Ah, but that is to be saved for dinner conversation. Now stop stalling and proceed."

"All right, all right. But before I do…" To Tomoyo's surprise, Eriol slowly got out of bed and ambled his way towards the couch she was sitting on. She was by his side in seconds, chastising him for getting out of bed unnecessarily when he swiftly took hold of her hand and laid a gentle kiss on it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady." The voice, deep and husky, seemed to cast a hypnotic spell on her mind, and for a moment, all she could register were those words as she stared at her outstretched hand. It took a connection with those striking azure blue eyes to finally shock her out of her reverie, and snapping back her hand, she blushed so badly she wished a hole would just come and swallow her up. She helped him to a couch when he insisted on sitting on one, and quickly walked backed to her seat 

"You were saying, Hiiragizawa-kun?" He was sitting on another couch, near to her, but at least it wasn't the **same** couch. She didn't think she would have known what to do if he had suddenly decided to settle himself down next to her. His blue eyes glittered as a smile played at the corner of his lips, and he seemed to be silently amused by the whole incident that happened to her. Tomoyo had a great urge to wipe that infuriating smirk off his face, but simply smiled at him. 

"Yes, as I was saying…" he drawled, watching her as she simply arched an eyebrow and smiled at him, "My name is Hiiragizawa Eriol, and eighteen too. I hail from the gloomy, rain-soaked land of Lancaster, England, and apart from a year spent in Tomoeda, Japan when I was eleven, I have very much spent my whole life here."

While one part of his mind was occupied with answering questions fielded by Tomoyo, another part was mentally studying the young lady sitting before him. When relaxed, Tomoyo was a different person. He noted her eloquence, the ease at which she spoke to him, casually talking to him as though they had been friends for ages. A seasoned conversationalist, he decided. **_And a good one, to boot._**

"So, are you in college or university?"

"Neither."

"Excuse me?"

"I've already graduated. In fact, I obtained my Masters Degree in Ancient Studies from Cambridge just two months ago."

He stated the last sentence so matter-of-factly that Tomoyo had to blink before the words sunk in, and when they finally did sink in…

Eriol pretended not to notice as Tomoyo tried to hide her sputtering by coughing (as discreetly as possible, she hoped) into her napkin. 

**__**

A Masters Degree?? I haven't even been to university! 

"Why stop at Masters? Why not pursue a Doctorate?"

"It's the same. All they do is suffix a 'Dr' to the front of your name." His nonchalant response baffled her. It was as though he couldn't care less what he could do with his intelligence. 

"Oh, but I do, Daidouji-san," he added, earning a glare from her for supposedly reading her mind. "And I'm not reading your mind. Your thoughts are so loud and prominent it's hard not to notice them." This brought a blush to her cheeks, which truth be told, he was beginning to find quite adorable. 

"So then, since you've heard my thoughts, what **_do_** you do with your 'intelligence'?" 

"Hmm…I can't very well tell you now, can I? There'll be nothing left for me to say later during dinner conversation." 

"Speaking of which…" She glanced at her watch. "It's close to seven now. Would you like to have dinner now?"

He lifted his eyes to the wall clock hanging a few inches above her head. 

"Why not?"

******************

Dinner was an enjoyable event. Tomoyo had started the ball rolling by reminiscing to him her childhood memories of Tomoeda, and the entire dining room was soon filled with laughter as Eriol regaled her with recounts of the incidents where he made Syaoran terribly jealous by getting close to Sakura. 

"He was sooo jealous! You should have seen the way he turned red with fury whenever he saw you and Sakura together!" 

"Oh, but I did," Eriol said, smirking. "That descendent of mine always did have horrible control over his emotions." He sipped his wine. "But it achieved its purpose in the end, didn't it?" 

Tomoyo smiled as she thought back on the couple. "It sure did, and they have you to thank for their union." 

"Me? Not entirely… I remember a raven-haired girl who discreetly helped my ever-so-ignorant descendent realise his feelings for a certain green-eyed sorceress…" 

Tomoyo feigned ignorance at first, but looking at the smirk on Eriol's face, she could not help but drop her act and smirk along with him. "I did help, didn't I?" 

"You did a beautiful job, my lady."

**************

"So…what do you do in your free time, now that you don't have to attend school?"

"Plot on how to take over the world?" He chuckled when he saw the baleful look Tomoyo shot him. "Actually, I do have a job. Not a regular one, of course." When he saw the inquisitive eyes, he continued, "I am a part-time concert pianist. My, er, other commitments tend to leave me with odd working hours." She mouthed a silent 'oh' in understanding. "Occasionally, I play at charity concerts, but usually only at the bequest of my friends." 

"A concert performer? That seems to fit into the type of job I would have seen you in." 

"Indeed? Should I ask why?"

The champagne glass stopped midway in its ascent and she tilted her head towards him, an elegant, black brow arched questioningly. "Don't _you_ know the reason why?" 

He returned a leveled gaze, speaking calmly and coolly, though his eyes glittered like a cat, "Could I presume it's because of my irresistible charm and drop-dead gorgeous looks?"

"Dream on, my friend," Tomoyo replied laughingly. 

"What about you, Daidouji?" 

Tomoyo stopped laughing. "What about me?" she asked warily. 

"You have yet to explain how you landed in England, as a businesswoman."

The tension left her body, but she suddenly found herself facing the unexpected difficulty of explaining her current situation to Eriol. 

"I…" Try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to mention her mother's death. The wound was still fresh and raw, and besides, familiar as he may be, but Eriol was still a stranger. He wouldn't know of her mother's death of course. Sonomi had requested for a simple and low-key funeral ceremony, and though people knew she was the head of the company, many failed to realise that the woman was too, the brains behind the entire company and its tremendous success. It was her mother who turned her father's mediocre business into an international brand. 

He didn't know Sonomi. He had never been around to understand the type of woman her mother was. He had not been here to see and understand the strong, passionate, caring woman that used to exist in her life… 

How could she talk to someone about her mother when the person never knew her at all?

"Never mind, Daidouji-san."

A startled Tomoyo raised her eyes to the young man sitting opposite her, violet orbs large and confused. 

"You can tell me another time, when you're more comfortable talking about it with me. And you will tell me eventually, won't you?" A kindly smile graced his features, and his dark eyes, tender and kind, comforted her with unspoken words.

For a moment, Tomoyo was at a loss for words, so moved was she by Eriol's gesture and understanding, but she quickly gathered her wits about her. However, try as she might, she only managed to get two words out.

"T-Thank…you." 

Silence descended upon the pair like a heavy blanket for the next couple of minutes, and it wasn't long before Tomoyo began to find the silence uncomfortable and unbearable. She set her cutlery neatly down on her empty plate, and looked up to the grandfather clock on her left.

"Would you like to join me in the den? I need to catch my nightly dose of the news." 

She smiled genially at Eriol, but the smiling face her amethyst eyes had latched onto gave her no clue as to what was going on in that head of his – and **that** made her uneasy. Her eyes were swiftly diverted away to the large doors of the dining room, and signalled to the waiter to open them. She rose from her seat and within a few short, quick steps, she was situated behind Eriol and pushed him (ignoring his protests that he could walk just fine) out of the room and into a richly furnished and elegantly decorated room. 

The television flickered to life, and Tomoyo aided the still-injured Eriol in settling down onto the plush rum couch. 

__

"And in Lancaster, residents living along 29th Graham Street were shocked when a sudden, powerful explosion ripped through the area and clouds of smoke began to rise from one of the mansions located along the street…"

"29th Graham Street? That's not far from here," commented Tomoyo, who sat down beside Eriol, her attention riveted on the news broadcast. 

__

"…Police arrived shortly after the explosion, and firefighting teams were immediately called in to put out the raging fire that blazed in the mansion, which took three hours to extinguish. As of yet, police have still been unable to identify the cause of the explosion. We are now at the scene of the explosion, where behind me is what's left; the entire mansion was razed to the ground..."

So engrossed was Tomoyo in the news bulletin that she failed to notice the actions of her companion; his fingers tightened around the fragile stem of the wine glass, and slightly, just slightly…the glass began to release a blue glow, growing brighter by the minute, until… 

The brilliant sound of glass shattering snapped Tomoyo's attention back to her companion, and her eyes widened with horror when she saw blood slowly stream down the hand, a broken wineglass in the place of the glass that previously contained white wine. 

"Eriol!" She rushed up and grabbed the nearest clean piece of cloth she could find. She took the broken wineglass out of Eriol's bleeding hand, and frantically wrapped it with the cloth, but Eriol remained oblivious to her action, his eyes fixated on the television screen. 

"Eriol, what's wrong?"

"That, Daidouji-san," he said in total grimness, his jaws set in hardness while his eyes, not once leaving the screen, blazed a brilliant azure, "is, no, **_was_** my home."

__

To be continued…

****

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